David Casper’s ‘sandlot’ moment led to lifelong friendship
Hall of Famers
Published on : 3/12/2025
In the photo above, David Casper is third PLAYER from the right in the top row (with mouth open) and Ricardo “Ricky” Hopkins is first PLAYER from the right (next to the coach, his dad) in the top row.
(Editor’s note: David Casper is one of 14 Notre Dame alums elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame who will be featured in the new exhibit “Gold Helmet to Gold Jacket.” Casper has indicated he will attend the ribbon-cutting Friday, March 14. This article tells of the special encounter with an eventual lifelong friend that helped shape his football career.)
You might recall the movie “The Sandlot,” set in 1962, about a kid, Scotty Smalls, moving into a new neighborhood and facing the challenge of making new friends.
The friendships in the movie develop on the baseball sandlot, and the group of boys, led by Benjamin Franklin "Benny the Jet" Rodriguez experience a number of adventures throughout the film.
If filmmakers desired to make a similar movie, based on reality, during a comparable time period, with football as the bonding activity, Pro Football Hall of Famer DAVID CASPER could play the role of the new kid in town. Ricardo “Ricky” Hopkins could fit the mold of Rodriquez.
In the early 1960s, Casper’s family relocated to Elgin, Ill. While exploring his new surroundings on his bicycle, Casper happened upon an Elgin (EUCA) youth football team practicing.
Prior to this chance encounter, Casper had not played any sports because of earlier surgeries. He recalled the experience during his Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement speech in 2002.
“When I was 10 years old, I rode my bike around Elgin. I watched some kids playing football. I went home and told my mom, and she said, ‘Why didn’t you go play with them?’ he recounted. “I said, ‘I didn’t think you wanted me to.’ But she said, ‘Go ahead,’ and so I did.”
Coach Richard Hopkins, Ricardo’s dad, “put me out there,” Casper continued.
“They said, ‘You think you can do it? Are you tough enough? Are you scared?’ I said, ‘Hell, I don’t know.’ I didn’t say hell. They put a pair of shoulder pads on us, and a pair of blue jeans. You know, they didn’t have any lawyers back then; they didn’t worry about getting sued.
“They had a kid named Junior Croom, and they handed him the football. And I somehow got Junior down. Junior was big. They let me play, and it was a lot of fun. And my mom dressed me for every game.”
In the process of bonding, or perhaps establishing team hierarchy, Ricky — arguably the best player on the team — and David engaged in what they both describe as a wrestling match to establish their connection. After the dust settled, the two, as it would turn out, became lifelong friends.
The pair shared similarities while growing up in different neighborhoods while attending different schools and playing EUCA football together for two years. Both peddled and delivered newspapers: Chicago Daily News, Chicago Tribune and Elgin Courier. They attended summer dances and honed their athletic skills.
During a conversation with the pair, Casper said, “We just connected well.” Hopkins added, “I’ve always liked Dave.”
Hopkins attended Elgin High School and earned a spot in the Elgin Sports Hall of Fame in 2019 as a result of his prowess on the basketball court. Casper and his family departed Elgin and moved to Chilton, Wis. During his senior season at Chilton, the 1969 football team was undefeated and outscored its opposition 363-0.
It seemed unlikely the former Elgin youth football teammates would cross paths again.
Casper proceeded to attend and play football at the University of Notre Dame, while Hopkins traveled west to play basketball at Gavilan Community College (California) and the University of Portland.
Unknowingly, the former Elgin EUCA teammates and newspaper carriers both settled in the Bay Area — Casper after an 11-year NFL career, mainly with the Oakland Raiders, and Hopkins, who had taken a security role for the Oakland A’s baseball organization.
The Oakland Coliseum, the home of the A’s, would serve as the place for an impromptu reunion.
Casper, engaged in his post-football career with Northwestern Mutual, was attending a celebrity event at an A’s game in the Coliseum and had a friendship with Major League Baseball umpire Joe West. Casper’s agenda included visiting the umpire room to see West.
As Casper was explaining his identity and his plan to gatekeepers screening people from entering restricted areas, a nearby security staffer — yes, Hopkins — overheard the conversation.
Reconnection established.
Since that unscheduled reunion, David has assured the two get together annually.
Now a resident of Florida, Casper completes an annual drive to Minnesota. When planning his route, he includes a respite in Cairo, Ill., where Hopkins, who has lost much of his eyesight, relocated to be closer to family.
Casper references Bruce Springsteen’s song “Glory Days” while describing the visits during which the friends share memories of their days in Elgin.
“We’re no different than other guys,” he said. “Some might think pro football were my glory days. Some were my youth football days.”
Said Hopkins: “We were just two kids having fun playing football together.”
(Editor’s note: David Casper is one of 14 Notre Dame alums elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame who will be featured in the new exhibit “Gold Helmet to Gold Jacket.” Casper has indicated he will attend the ribbon-cutting Friday, March 14. This article tells of the special encounter with an eventual lifelong friend that helped shape his football career.)
You might recall the movie “The Sandlot,” set in 1962, about a kid, Scotty Smalls, moving into a new neighborhood and facing the challenge of making new friends. The friendships in the movie develop on the baseball sandlot, and the group of boys, led by Benjamin Franklin "Benny the Jet" Rodriguez experience a number of adventures throughout the film.
If filmmakers desired to make a similar movie, based on reality, during a comparable time period, with football as the bonding activity, Pro Football Hall of Famer DAVID CASPER could play the role of the new kid in town. Ricardo “Ricky” Hopkins could fit the mold of Rodriquez.
In the early 1960s, Casper’s family relocated to Elgin, Ill. While exploring his new surroundings on his bicycle, Casper happened upon an Elgin (EUCA) youth football team practicing.
Prior to this chance encounter, Casper had not played any sports because of earlier surgeries. He recalled the experience during his Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement speech in 2002.
“When I was 10 years old, I rode my bike around Elgin. I watched some kids playing football. I went home and told my mom, and she said, ‘Why didn’t you go play with them?’ he recounted. “I said, ‘I didn’t think you wanted me to.’ But she said, ‘Go ahead,’ and so I did.”
Coach Richard Hopkins, Ricardo’s dad, “put me out there,” Casper continued.
“They said, ‘You think you can do it? Are you tough enough? Are you scared?’ I said, ‘Hell, I don’t know.’ I didn’t say hell. They put a pair of shoulder pads on us, and a pair of blue jeans. You know, they didn’t have any lawyers back then; they didn’t worry about getting sued.
“They had a kid named Junior Croom, and they handed him the football. And I somehow got Junior down. Junior was big. They let me play, and it was a lot of fun. And my mom dressed me for every game.”
In the process of bonding, or perhaps establishing team hierarchy, Ricky — arguably the best player on the team — and David engaged in what they both describe as a wrestling match to establish their connection. After the dust settled, the two, as it would turn out, became lifelong friends.
The pair shared similarities while growing up in different neighborhoods while attending different schools and playing EUCA football together for two years. Both peddled and delivered newspapers: Chicago Daily News, Chicago Tribune and Elgin Courier. They attended summer dances and honed their athletic skills.
During a conversation with the pair, Casper said, “We just connected well.” Hopkins added, “I’ve always liked Dave.”
Separate paths meet up later
Hopkins attended Elgin High School and earned a spot in the Elgin Sports Hall of Fame in 2019 as a result of his prowess on the basketball court. Casper and his family departed Elgin and moved to Chilton, Wis. During his senior season at Chilton, the 1969 football team was undefeated and outscored its opposition 363-0. It seemed unlikely the former Elgin youth football teammates would cross paths again.
Casper proceeded to attend and play football at the University of Notre Dame, while Hopkins traveled west to play basketball at Gavilan Community College (California) and the University of Portland.
Unknowingly, the former Elgin EUCA teammates and newspaper carriers both settled in the Bay Area — Casper after an 11-year NFL career, mainly with the Oakland Raiders, and Hopkins, who had taken a security role for the Oakland A’s baseball organization.
The Oakland Coliseum, the home of the A’s, would serve as the place for an impromptu reunion.
Casper, engaged in his post-football career with Northwestern Mutual, was attending a celebrity event at an A’s game in the Coliseum and had a friendship with Major League Baseball umpire Joe West. Casper’s agenda included visiting the umpire room to see West.
As Casper was explaining his identity and his plan to gatekeepers screening people from entering restricted areas, a nearby security staffer — yes, Hopkins — overheard the conversation.
Reconnection established.
Since that unscheduled reunion, David has assured the two get together annually.
Now a resident of Florida, Casper completes an annual drive to Minnesota. When planning his route, he includes a respite in Cairo, Ill., where Hopkins, who has lost much of his eyesight, relocated to be closer to family.
Casper references Bruce Springsteen’s song “Glory Days” while describing the visits during which the friends share memories of their days in Elgin.
“We’re no different than other guys,” he said. “Some might think pro football were my glory days. Some were my youth football days.”
Said Hopkins: “We were just two kids having fun playing football together.”
Casper to participate in chalk talk at Hall of Fame
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Casper started his journey to Canton on the campus of Notre Dame as a member of the Fighting Irish football team. Don’t miss your chance to get up close and personal as he relives his greatest moments in South Bend on Saturday, March 15. Get your tickets here. |